Charles bath



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES RATH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMPOSITION OF MATTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,615, dated February14, 1899.

Application filed January 14, 1 8 98.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RATH, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, and a resident of New York, county and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compositionof Matter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to composition of materials for rubbing implements,more especially of those used in therapeutic treatment of sick persons,massage, and the like; and it consists of the hereinafter-describedcomposition of material possessing such peculiar and desirable qualitiesas are required in the use of such implements.

To obtain the best result from treatment of the body of the patient, itis necessary that the material of which the implements are made be ofcertain hardness and elasticity; further, that its surface shall besmooth, in a certain degree glossy, to enable the tool or implement toglide over the skin of the person receiving the treatment with the leastpossible friction. I have made extensive experiments during a longperiod of time with such implements produced of different matarials,particularly of so-called artificial wood, polished and otherwiseprepared rubber of varying hardness, of celluloid, and of compositionsof mineral substances, and found that any and all of these materials areinadequate for the purpose in that they do not possess such grade ofhardness, or rather softness,combined with elasticity and smooth ness ofsurface, as such implements must nec- Serial No. 666,682. (Nospecimens.)

lubricant, and consequently tools or imple ments produced of thismaterial can be readily used with the best effect either dry or in bath.In preparing this composition of material the rubberis firstmoderatelyheated,and the other ingredients are successively combinedwith it by kneading, and the material While in a plastic state is thenshaped by pressing it into suitable forms. The relative quantities ofthe ingredients may be varied according to the intended use. For theimplements for rubbing and massage apparatus generally a proportion ofseventy=six parts of rubber, seventeen parts of bran of almonds, andseven parts of calcined chalk will give best results. This material maybe used with excellent results for all kinds of tools and implements forelec trotherapeutic treatment. In reference to the latter use it is tobe stated that the ma terial is absolutely insulating and may in manyinstances for this purpose be advantageously substituted for rubber.

In preparing the com position some cosmetic may also be added. It,however, is merely an ingredient of taste and not otherwise required.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A composition of matter comprising puresoft india-rubber as the preponderating ingredient, bran of almonds andchalk thoroughly mixed and kneaded together.

2. A composition of matter comprising about seventy-six parts of softpure india-rubber, about seventeen parts of bran of almonds and aboutseven parts of calcined chalk all com bined together by kneading, whilethe rubber is in soft plastic state.

In witness that I claim the improvements described in the foregoingspecification I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

CHARLES RATI-I.

Witnesses HARRY CALHOUN,

ROBERT VALENTINE MATHEWS.

